And if they're on this team together, literally the only human beings within light years of each other

That's part of the problem. We have no idea how they react to each other and yet a pairing is already being proposed. Why? Just because they are the only two humans and are of the opposite sex doesn't mean there has to be a love story in there. There is plenty of life in an idea of functioning as team mates or as part of an un-easy alliance.

Carol has spent years being the love part of Green Lantern to the point where they retrofitted her identity as Star Sapphire with some ill defined love powers. How can you take Carol seriously if every story she's in involved in is spent clinging to a man? Kyle has already had 3 romantic relationships form defining points in his life and his career. Why go back to that? They've done it 3 times already.

I say enough of the constant romantic baggage with Kyle and Carol and let them engage in a different story and a different dynamic.

Because it would make for a far more interesting character story than anything we've seen in several years. I have never really bought into Kyle's relationship with Sora; that's the relationship that seems artificial and forced to me. There have been moments when I almost believe it, but they've been short lived.

As for Kyle and Carol, Carol expressed pretty strongly in Brightest Day that she's done with Hal, and that she no longer even thinks that what they had was "true love." And Hal supposedly has a girlfriend anyway.

So why wouldn't Carol eventually be looking for someone else? And why couldn't that someone else be Kyle? Kyle is very different from Hal in key ways that could make him attractive to Carol, given the nature of her frustrations with Hal. And if they're on this team together, literally the only human beings within light years of each other, I don't think it would be artificial at all. In fact, it could potentially be much more natural than Kyle's relationship with Sora.

I do think that it would put a monster sized twist in the friendship between Hal and Kyle. But I also think that the characters' history with Hal would make the relationship between Kyle and Carol more interesting. I don't personally have a problem with relational drama in comic books the way some people do; I actually like it. This could create a lot of interesting drama--not between Kyle and Hal, but between Kyle and Carol. I'd like to see how they would deal with the fact that Hal is Carol's ex.

But even if you ignore that obvious drama, Kyle and Carol have very different perspectives when it comes to Hal. Kyle has spent much of his career living up to Hal's example or striving to get out of his shadow. Carol has been Hal's lover, yes, but also his superior and his rival. With or without romantic involvement, I would be interested in seeing how that plays out in their relationship.

But I think you're making an assumption that DC would do the relationship right and make it feel genuine which I just don't see them doing. I think Carol is so tied to Hal that any type of romantic entanglement between her and Kyle would just be done for the shock value and would obviously be short term. Basically I think we'd end up with something just as artificial if not more than Kyle's current relationship with Natu all for some drama between Kyle and Hal...not worth it imo.

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Originally Posted by Mister.Weirdo

Not to get off topic but Cowgirl is a terrible love interest!

Cosigned. When was the last time she was even in an issue?

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Originally Posted by Bolerathon

I say enough of the constant romantic baggage with Kyle and Carol and let them engage in a different story and a different dynamic.

+1 on this. I think you can develop an interesting dynamic between them without having them be romantically involved.

+1 on this. I think you can develop an interesting dynamic between them without having them be romantically involved.

Oh, I agree. I'm not saying it has to happen, or that it should happen, or even that it's likely to happen. I'm just saying that if it does happen, it has a lot of potential if written well. And I don't know whether Tony Bedard has been writing Kyle long enough to earn an expectation that he would write it badly.

I can certainly understand wanting Kyle to stay with Sora, or wanting him to be single. But in the event that neither of things happen, I can easily imagine some great stories coming out of a relationship with Carol.

I care about the love intrests in Green Lantern books about as much as I care about,How Clean Alfred keeps the Bat cave. I would be dissipointed in Kyle. She seems a little old for him. I think it would be a diss to Kyle. And lets be honest hassn't the kid suffered enough?

And I know I know... it's only been like three weeks in DCU time... but come the fuck on.

Fans are expected to not see characters for two calendar years and remember that they're out there and mean something to the man characters but I can't get a little miffed when other details are written completely inconsistently within a three story arc?

I remember there was time pre-crisis where so many villains and supporting cast would disappear for years (sometimes more than ten years), and then suddenly randomly show up without any explanation as to why.

I remember there was time pre-crisis where so many villains and supporting cast would disapear for years (sometimes more than ten years), and then suddenly randomly show up without any explanation as to why.

I'm fine with characters not showing up...

but if I'm expected to believe/remember that Cowgirl is "Hal's Girl" then she can't go missing for two full years.

Especially when those two years have been chock full of Hal & Carol constantly being on the verge of talking about how much they want to bone in space.

If Kyle hooks up with Carol and if the unwashed masses enjoy it then I'm officially done with comic books again and this board.

The only girl I really liked in the new Vol is the one night stand girl. Can't we get more of that? Everyone says that Hal is this slick ladies man,yet he sure seems to do alot of pining over girls. That is pretty bad for a love em and leave em rep.

Fashion, sports, comic books, religions..... every devoted fan base has a cluster of zealots who fixate on the superficial elements.

Costumes are a superficial element of a comic book . . . but come on. So is the art. The pretty (and superficial) pictures are a major part of why we read comic books and watch movies with big budget special effects. If you want fiction that doesn't focus on such "superficial" elements, read a novel. I suggest The Lies of Locke Lamora, by Scott Lynch. Its characters are great, and it doesn't even have a love story in it!

And as for love interests . . . you're not really suggesting that relationships are a superficial element of comics, are you? Human relationships, including romantic ones, are part of what makes fictional characters relatable. Love interests are a nonessential but compelling means of character development. Which is why almost love interests are a central part of almost every major superhero's story and virtually every successful superhero movie.

Given the state of Green Lantern comic books the last two or three years, I would expect you to be interested in more of a focus on relationships, not less.

Costumes are a superficial element of a comic book . . . but come on. So is the art. The pretty (and superficial) pictures are a major part of why we read comic books and watch movies with big budget special effects. If you want fiction that doesn't focus on such "superficial" elements, read a novel. I suggest The Lies of Locke Lamora, by Scott Lynch. Its characters are great, and it doesn't even have a love story in it!

That's a fair point... but developing an emotional attachment to the clothes the characters wear is taking it an extra level. Superman and Batman have had thousands of tweaks, changes and alterations over the years but we all know who they are and what we think they stand for.

A non-fiction example... I'm a huge Los Angeles Kings fan. They're getting new uniforms next season and while I'm not personally thrilled with them I understand that it's not really going to change how I root for the team.

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And as for love interests . . . you're not really suggesting that relationships are a superficial element of comics, are you? Human relationships, including romantic ones, are part of what makes fictional characters relatable. Love interests are a nonessential but compelling means of character development. Which is why almost love interests are a central part of almost every major superhero's story and virtually every successful superhero movie.

I was referring only to the costumes and accessories. "Love" interests CAN be superficial in any given story but no I'm not suggesting that comic book characters should never be in relationships. I was talking about their threads.

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Given the state of Green Lantern comic books the last two or three years, I would expect you to be interested in more of a focus on relationships, not less.

Well it would depend on how it was written but again... not talking about relationships. Just the clothes.

That's a fair point... but developing an emotional attachment to the clothes the characters wear is taking it an extra level.

I can't disagree with that. Which is why I am driven utterly crazy by the "Wonder Woman Must Wear Star Spangled Panties" crowd. I won't begrudge anyone for preferring one costume over the other, missing an old costume, wanting a new costume, or anything else on those lines. But it can certainly be taken too far. And comic book fans can be known to take just about anything too far.

I can't disagree with that. Which is why I am driven utterly crazy by the "Wonder Woman Must Wear Star Spangled Panties" crowd. I won't begrudge anyone for preferring one costume over the other, missing an old costume, wanting a new costume, or anything else on those lines. But it can certainly be taken too far. And comic book fans can be known to take just about anything too far.

It's a fascinating line DC and Marvel walk. They clearly cater to a certain subset of emotionally fragile fans who will always always always want it to be "just the way they like it" and yet you can't just keep telling the same stories month after month.

I'd love to see a serious cross section of "Mainstream comicbook fans" studied and interviewed to find out just how prevalent certain attitudes and preferences are.

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Ah, okay. I should have assumed so. My apologies.

No worries... I make assumptions about what people are saying and then write eight paragraph profanity laced tirades against it all the time.

Going beyond that, I think this would just be a misguided mechanism to trumpet Kyle, or at least an attempt to make him more...relevant? Because right now he's off in the corner of the GLC cafeteria, sharing a frappaccino and scone with Natu.

But it'd end up giving off the same vibe DC did in the 90s with the whole legacy/retro model: Take a concept or supporting character from the Silver Age, foist it upon a 20-something Gen-X character, then show why it was ultimately un-kewel and discard it.